Altona P-9 College did very well in the 'My School' reports especially in maths. Photo: Jason South

Principal Julie Krause said improvement in the college's NAPLAN results, which will be released for all schools on Wednesday, showed the teacher training program was effective.

"We've got great teachers but we can make great teachers better," she said.

The latest NAPLAN figures for 2013 will appear on the My School website alongside school profiles and financial information.

Altona P-9 College's performance in the literacy and numeracy test has exceeded the national average improvement, according to the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority.

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Ms Krause said her school's NAPLAN results showed the year 7 students started well below the national average in 2011 in most areas. However, when tested again in year 9 the same students had improved markedly, she said.

NAPLAN tests are held in years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

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Ms Krause said her teachers did not rely on NAPLAN data to set learning programs for individual students. The results were better for illustrating broader areas where the school could improve, she said.

"If there are significant gaps we know we have to go back and look at our planning."

The Salesian College for boys in Chadstone also exceeded the national average gain in numeracy, the curriculum authority said. However, the students were already performing above the national average.

Principal Rob Brennan said the college had recently focused on literacy skills, which also helped lift maths results.

"Boys are now able to understand what the maths question is asking them," he said.

Mr Brennan said the school had also begun using highly experienced teachers to conduct internal training sessions for their colleagues.

"It's a far greater use of resources because it doesn't cost us any money," he said. "I don't think schools in the past were as good at using that expertise as we are now."

Mr Brennan said he was pleased with the college's NAPLAN results but did not expect teachers to prepare for the tests. "You do hear of schools that practice and teach to NAPLAN. It's something that under my leadership will never happen at the college."

In the past year the curriculum authority also updated its method of calculating socio-economic disadvantage for schools to make the measurement more "representative and stable over time".